


Perpetual Repetition

by GalacticConcatenation



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, I think i just like to torture Link, Only Link is aware, Rated mature for one masturbation reference, Time Travel, world resets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:34:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24325858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalacticConcatenation/pseuds/GalacticConcatenation
Summary: Link fights Ganon again, and again, and again, and again, and again.Will the victory ever be permanent?
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 70





	Perpetual Repetition

**Author's Note:**

> The fact that you cannot beat Ganon and continue the game after that irks me to no end. Link deserves closure. Without that closure, please have this insanity.

Taking in a deep breath and resting his hand against the eerily warm stone of the castle walls, Link approached the castle sanctum. He was finally ready to face Ganon and to free Zelda, the goal he had been working towards for many months. Steadying his trembling hands, soothing the swell of adrenaline that rose within him, Link stepped into the sanctum.

The battle was hard fought, but Link had prepared well for this moment. The attack from the Divine Beasts had put a huge dent into Ganon's strength. Link had trained, and grown stronger, had cleared shrines and gained spirit orbs, and exchanged them for strength and stamina to be sure he was ready for this moment. 

With the Master Sword, he cut down Ganon easily. The blade making satisfying connections with the corrupted flesh, Ganon drew weaker, slower with each strike and the sword seemed to gleam with the rush of success. Link's confidence grew; he would win this fight.

As Ganon fled the castle and became incorporeal, his heart swelled as Zelda's voice became stronger, clearer, and she bestowed upon him the bow of light. Link's aim was unsurpassed, his control of the flow of time allowing him to defeat Ganon fully with precise arrows piercing where Zelda directed them.

Then she was there, finally made flesh again. She was brilliant, beautiful, and she cast Ganon out of Hyrule with her blinding golden power. The orb swallowed Ganon then snapped out of sight. And she was still there, lovely and whole. Link tried to listen, but the blood pounding in his ears, made it hard to focus. He was just so relieved to have her again. So relieved that she was here, she was real, she was alive.

They gathered themselves up, turned away from the castle, and pressed onward. To walk away from the pain and evil that had plagued their lives for over a century, to truly begin the rest of their lives, together. A peace settled over Link like he had never felt before. It was over, the evil was ended, it was finished.

\-----

Taking in a deep breath and resting his hand against the eerily warm stone of the castle walls, Link approached the castle sanctum. He was finally ready to face Ganon and to free Zelda, the goal he had been working towards for many months. His step faltered. Steadying his trembling hands, soothing the swell of adrenaline that rose within him, something felt wrong.

He closed his eyes. This felt wrong. He had already beaten Ganon, hadn't he? Had he dreamed it? It felt so real, the pain of his battle wounds, the joy of freeing Zelda, had he truly dreamed it? It must have been a dream. He had longed for this moment for so long, it made sense he would have dreamed of the moment. But he was here now, he would fight Ganon now. He would defeat him.

The battle was easy? It felt like he knew exactly how the fight would play out before it even began. It felt choreographed, like his limbs knew exactly what to do without his control. It felt so simple, so familiar, like he had done this before. He tried to shake the feeling. No matter, his feelings were not the point, defeating Ganon was. And the defeat was swift. He struck down the beast within the sanctum, then with the bow of light finished the battle with the incorporeal evil.

And then Zelda was there. Oh, she was real, and lovely, and she banished Ganon so simply. This was real. She was real. He tried to listen as she spoke, blood still pounding in his ears, so eager to see her. He pushed away the familiarity of this all, surely it had just been a dream. _This_ was real now.

They turned from the castle together, and walked away from the cause of their pain. Peacefulness washed over Link. The century of evil was over, and their new lives would begin now, the rest of their lives, together. 

\-----

Taking in a deep breath and resting his hand against the eerily warm stone of the castle walls, Link approached the castle sanctum. He was finally ready to face Ganon and to free Zelda, the goal he had been working towards for many months. He stopped in his tracks. Steadying his trembling hands, a wave of nausea rose within him.

He closed his eyes, a rush of fear swooping in his stomach. This felt wrong, this felt so entirely wrong. He had already beaten Ganon, hadn't he? Had he dreamed it, a recurring dream? It felt so real, the pain of battle wounds, the joy of freeing Zelda, had he truly dreamed it? It must have been a dream. But he was here now, his feet were heavy beneath him. Drawing a shuttering breath, clenching the wall with white knuckles, he steadied himself. He could hear the beast just on the other side of the doorway, he would fight Ganon now. He would defeat him.

The battle was easy? It felt like he had struck these same blows before, dealt the same damage prior. It felt choreographed, like his limbs knew exactly what to do without his control. It felt so simple, so familiar, like he had done this before. The dream swam in his mind, trying to shake the dizziness that threatened to overtake him, he fought the battle regardless. Press on, press on. Defeat Gannon, tamp down this dread, this fear. The defeat was swift. He struck down the beast, and with Zelda's gift of the bow of light, Link finished the battle.

And Zelda was there, oh, she was real. She was whole, beautiful, glowing, real. She banished the beast, and all was right. The trepidation remained, but Zelda, _Zelda_. This was real. Zelda spoke to him with soft words.

"Do you really remember me?" 

Link wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. They left the castle, leaving the century of evil behind them to start the rest of their lives, a sense of calm stirring in his chest.

\-----

Taking in a deep breath and resting his hand against the eerily warm stone of the castle walls, Link approached the castle sanctum. He was finally ready to face Ganon and to free Zelda, the goal he had been working towards for many months. Link's feet fell from beneath him, his knees painfully hitting the cobble stone. A wave of nausea rose within him, his entire body shook, his breathing becoming rapid, erratic.

"No…"

He closed his eyes, fear swooping in his stomach, a cold sweat beginning at the back of his neck. This was wrong, this felt so terribly wrong. He had already beaten Ganon! Had he dreamed it, a recurring dream? It was so real, the pain of battle wounds, the joy of freeing Zelda, how was this dream repeating so? Was it not a dream at all? He was here now, trembling, his knees bruising on the stone. Drawing a shuttering breath, clenching the wall with white knuckles, he pulled himself to his feet. He could hear the beast just on the other side of the doorway, he would fight Ganon now. He would defeat him, no matter how badly his knees shook, no matter the bile rising in his throat.

The battle was easy, even with his tremors and anxiety. It felt like he had struck these same blows before, it felt choreographed, it felt so simple, so familiar, like he had done this before. Dizzy, his mind swam, unease and apprehension roiled within him. He fought the battle regardless, he had to press on.

Zelda. Beautiful Zelda was here, she was real and glowing brilliantly. She banished Ganon, and she was still here. Still whole. Link tried to quell his concern. She was here. They were safe. She spoke to him gently. 

"Do you really remember me?"

He thought he remembered those exact words. No matter, they were together again. Free from evil, they left the castle to begin the rest of their lives.

\-----

Taking in a deep breath and resting his hand against the eerily warm stone of the castle walls, Link felt as if he couldn't breathe. He was finally ready to face Ganon and to free Zelda, but a wave of nausea rose within him, he shook, he screamed. Link's feet fell from beneath him, his knees painfully hitting the cobble stone. He wailed, tears building in his eyes.

"No… no, no, no, no, _NO!_ "

He closed his eyes, fear swooping in his stomach, a cold sweat beginning at the back of his neck. He retched, nausea coming to fruition. This was wrong! He had already beaten Ganon! It was real! He recalled the pain of his battle wounds, his heart rejoicing at the sight of Zelda. He had done this! His knees bruising on the stone, he knew had to tell Zelda. She would know what to do. She could save him from this repetitious hell. Drawing a shuttering breath, wiping the sick from his chin, he pulled himself to his feet. He would fight Ganon now.

He killed Ganon swiftly. He knew the strikes to make. Despite the dread pooling in his chest, his body knew what to do, he slew the evil with no thought.

Zelda. She was here, whole, and real. She banished Ganon. He trembled, waiting for her brilliance to fade, anxious to tell her what was happening. 

Finally it was over, she began speaking. He ran to her.

"I've been keeping watch-" He grabbed her shoulder, turned her to face him.

"Zelda!" 

Her eyes flew wide. Panic rose in Link's throat.

"You have to help me, Zelda, please…"

"The battle is done, Link. I witnessed your trials." Her eyes searched his face, her brows drawn high.

"No, Zelda, this keeps happening. I have already defeated Ganon."

"Link, he is defeated. I always believed you would defeat him."

"Zelda, you don't understand," exasperation rose in his voice. "I have defeated him, many times!"

"Link, I am aware of the cycle of our fates-".

"No." Link pleaded, grabbing both her shoulders. "This Ganon, this evil here now, I have defeated this exact evil, many times. This keeps repeating."

"I don't understand…" Tears welled in Zelda's eyes, fear flashing across her face.

"I don't understand it either, but after I defeat him, it's like time reverses itself. I'm brought back to just before the fight begins." Link replied.

"I…I don't, he is defeated, Link. See, I am here. You saved me." Her voice now trembled. She drew Link close, hugging him against her. "It's all right. It's over."

Link slumped against her. "I'm scared it will happen again. That I'll be taken back."

"It won't, Link. He is gone." She held him tightly, trying to soothe his shuddering.

They discussed it no more. Zelda drew away from him, and they walked hand in hand away from the castle, together.

\-----

Taking in a deep breath and leaning against castle walls near the sanctum, Link wept. He collapsed to the stone beneath him. He sobbed, tears streaming down his face. He could not speak.

He crawled forward on the cobblestone, creeped just far enough to look at the high ceiling of the sanctum. His heart sunk, hands clenching the stone, pebbles digging into the skin of his fingers. The evil mass still hung from the ceiling, pulsating, taunting him.

Why is this happening? _What_ is happening? Why does Ganon not stay defeated. What is this hell? Something is wrong, this can't be right. I can't fight this, not again.

Still on hands and knees, Link crawled back, retreating from the sanctum. With trembling hands he drew out his slate, choosing to transport himself to the Ta'log Naeg shrine.

Link lept from the shrine, whipping out his glider to land on Impa's doorstep. He flung the doors open, Paya yelped and cowered at the suddenness. Impa tilted her head up to peer at Link.

"Link, this is unexpected. I believed you had gone to defeat Ganon. I thought you would next return here in victory."

Link stepped toward her, still trembling, he fell to his knees in front of her.

"I did." He spoke quietly.

"What? What do you mean? I can still sense the evil that demon brings upon the land."

"I have defeated him, many times now…. I…" Link hesitated, his voice giving out. 

"Go on child, tell me."

"I can beat him, and I do, but it's not permanent. It's like time undoes the battle and I'm put back in time just before the fight."

Impa pondered for a moment.

"The Hero is often historically referred to specifically as the Hero of Time. It may be that the connection lies there. Time is somehow involved in your battle with Ganon."

"But how? How does this keep happening? I don't understand."

"I am sad to say that I don't know how to solve this puzzle. Something is keeping you from finalizing the defeat of the Calamity. You must continue to try, to seek out what will gain your victory."

Wiping away the tears that had run down his face, Link finally looked up to Impa. 

"Thank you, Impa. I will try again." Somewhat encouraged, Link stood, and left to head back towards the castle.

So Link steeled himself and tried again.

He wondered if his clothing hindered him. He did not favor use of the Champion's tunic that Zelda had left for him. He felt too much history and anguish wrapped in the fabric, but maybe it was required for Ganon's defeat. Maybe it was imbued with some magic from Zelda that was necessary to banish the demon.

That was not successful. Time spat Link out, still sporting the unblemished bright blue of his Champion's tunic.

Again. Maybe the Master Sword was not at full strength. Link traveled to the Lost Woods, but the Great Deku tree had no advice to offer Link. Link tried focusing his energy in the blade, speaking to it to coax out it's full power, and used it solely through the fight against the Calamity.

Link was returned again, still clutching the handle of the ancient weapon.

Again. Maybe the Divine Beasts needed to do more. Maybe they had an ability that was going unused. Link returned to each Beast, prodded through their innards, he found nothing he had not encountered on his first bouts with the Beasts. He tried to draw a stronger mental connection to them, praying for their strength and power during the battle.

Link was deposited outside the sanctum again, with nothing of significance changed.

Again. Perhaps had he prayed to the wrong beings. He traveled to the Forgotten Temple and knelt at the base of the largest Goddess statue he could remember seeing. He pressed his forehead to the chilled stone and prayed, but the mystical voice he was well acquainted with did not encourage him.

"Link… It appears that you have sufficient power. You should not seek to increase this any further. Go, and bring peace to Hyrule."

He tried again wondering if the Goddesses' final blessing was what would tip the balance. Link was again returned to the door of the sanctum, with a new wariness of the spirits in his chest.

He spent weeks in the field behind his house in Hateno, meditating silently in the tall grass. Hoping that calmness of mind would lead him to the answer. He was spit out again with his faith in all spirituality erased. 

Maybe, maybe, maybe. Link tried endless variables in the fight against Ganon. Different elixirs to strengthen him, make him faster, stronger, tougher. He tried different ancient technology, maybe Robbie's ancient armor was the key to truly defeating ancient evil. He tried weapons of fire, weapons of ice, weapons imbued with electricity. He tried every different combination of weapons, shields, bows, all to no avail. He came with no weapons, fought Ganon with only the Sheikah slate. He brought pouches full of fairies with him. He had fairies enchant his armor. 

All these attempts had the same result, Link being sent back to the same hallway, with tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

He returned again to Hateno, to drown his sorrows. Gracing the small pubs of the village with pockets stuffed full of silver and gold rupees, mead and wine flowed freely to his mouth. Drunk and brash, he returned to fight Ganon with liquid courage and sheer fury pumping through his veins. Even heavily weighed down by his drink, he defeated Ganon, slurred his sorrows to a distressed Zelda, and found himself awakening on the cobblestones with a throbbing head and a heaving stomach.

He achieved startlingly similar results after finally convincing the Gerudo barkeep to serve him several Noble Pursuits with the persuasion of several gleaming rupees. The drink dulled him differently than the mead of the pubs in Hateno. Emboldened, and still wearing his Gerudo attire, he attempted the battle again. The stone near the mouth of the sanctum soothed his hungover body better in his Gerudo clothes than the Hylian armor he had worn on his last attempt.

He grew brash even without drink. Intentionally entering the sanctum with only rusty broadswords in his pack. On one occasion, approaching the demon with only tree branches and Korok leaves in his possession. He would challenge himself, maybe if he used his sword in his left hand and his shield in his right, it would be trigger the final defeat. Maybe if he only walked backwards during the fight, that would be the final win. Maybe if he fought Ganon blindfolded, that would stop the repetition. Maybe if he fought Ganon naked, that would be the absolute victory. His attempts grew wild, reckless, insanity tinging the edges of each new attempt. 

Each time, Link stood again just outside the sanctum. No different from when he had last entered, except for the gnawing frustration pooling within him.

He began initiating the fight over and over again just to speak with Zelda, to see if he could draw any wisdom out of her. But at each encounter, she had no memory of any prior battle. She was always hesitant, not understanding what he tried to tell her. He found that he only had several minutes of time with Zelda before his awareness became fuzzy, slipped away from him, and was deposited right back into his body before the fight had begun.

He became bold even with Zelda. Appearing before her naked, just to see the reaction it drew from her. Stammering and blushing from the princess eased the pain of being remitted back to the sanctum hallway. Several times, as soon as she set down on the ground, he drew her into his arms and kissed her fervently. She responded eagerly no matter how he kissed her, gently, aggressively, passionately. That was at least something to look forward to, despite the limited minutes he had after each battle. More than once, Link would shamelessly jerk himself off onto the stone hallway before the sanctum after a particularly amorous meeting with the beautiful Princess.

Link never gained acceptance of his situation. He would repeat this dance, this scenario endlessly until he achieved the terminal defeat of the Calamity. How ever many hundreds, or thousands of repetitions, variations, attempts that it took to ultimately destroy the evil that plagued Hyrule. He hoped he would stumble upon the answer eventually. He felt he had to at least try, or he would never succeed. It became a daily ritual, to attempt once the defeat of Ganon, and then to go on about his day as he pleased. The battle became routine, a regimen to guide his life by. Each fight, each death he inflicted upon Ganon fraying his patience, and pulling him back to fight once more. He could only hope that an eventual permanent victory would be his next attempt.

He had nothing more to look forward to than once again taking the Princess's hand into his, turning his back to that Goddess forsaken castle, and walking away from the evil that plagued them both for the last one hundred years. Even if that sense of peace and calm only lasted a moment, he would do it, again, and again, and again, and again.


End file.
